Gov. Spitzer‘s former communications di rector, Darren Dopp, asked another Spitzer aide to lie about the origins of the Dirty Tricks Scandal – including the governor’s own allegedly extensive knowledge of the plot to smear the Senate’s GOP leader, a well-placed source told The Post yesterday.

Dopp wanted now-demoted Spitzer homeland-security aide William Howard to join him in denying there was anything unusual in their months-long effort to use the State Police to gather evidence purporting to show Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer) misused state aircraft for political purposes, said the source, who knows many of those involved in the scandal.

Dopp sought to have Howard, whose job involved overseeing the State Police, back up his initial public claim that the information gathered on Bruno was merely the result of a “change in State Police policy” designed to keep better track of the use of state aircraft, and was not part of a complex conspiracy aimed at damaging or destroying Spitzer’s chief Republican opponent, the source continued.

The state Public Integrity Commission last week asked Albany District Attorney David Soares to examine possible perjury by Dopp before the commission.

An investigation by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo showed that Dopp, Howard and others used the State Police to compile information on Bruno that was not gathered on other public officials.

As soon as The Post broke the story of the anti-Bruno plot on July 5 – and revealed that many of Dopp’s claims were false – an “emergency” meeting was held in one of Spitzer’s executive offices at the Capitol to discuss the scandal. Present at the meeting were Dopp, Howard, Spitzer Chief of Staff Richard Baum and other senior Spitzer aides, the source said.

“Darren made it clear to Howard and others that he wanted a story to be told that was different than the one that actually happened,” the source claimed. “His comments stunned some of those who heard it, because they didn’t want to lie.”

Dopp also insisted at another meeting that “the boss,” as he called Spitzer, had been kept fully informed “from the start” about the anti-Bruno effort, which dated back to the spring, the source said.

Such a claim, if true, would contradict Spitzer’s repeated insistence that he didn’t learn about the anti-Bruno plot until shortly before it became public – and had even made an unsuccessful effort to stop it.

The source said Howard, and possibly other members of the governor’s staff, have testified under oath in recent weeks to the Spitzer-controlled Public Integrity Commission about the specific events that transpired immediately after the plot against Bruno became public. “Howard is someone who tells the truth, and that’s what he did when he testified,” said the source.

Neither Dopp nor his attorney, Michael Koenig, responded to a request for comment. Howard could not be reached for comment.